Polling for Telangana Assembly elections begin

Hyderabad: Polling began at 7 am on Friday in all the 32,815 polling stations across Telangana to elect representatives to the 119-member Telangana Legislative Assembly.

Mobile phones are not allowed inside the polling stations. Selfies are not allowed. Many people who carried mobile phones had to return home to leave the handset.

This is the first election in Telangana, which was formed as India's 29th state by separating from Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2014. The 2014 election was conducted in the undivided Andhra Pradesh but, Assemblies were formed separately.

The polling will last till 5 pm in 106 constituencies. In the other 13 constituencies, the polling will conclude at 4 pm because of the geographical reasons.

Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy cast his vote in Kodad in Nalgonda district and BJP state president J Lakshman at Musheerabad in Secunderabad.

There are 2,80,64,684 voters including 1,41,56,182 men and 1,39,05,811 women. The 2014 election recorded 68.5 percent polling. Officials and political parties are hopeful of a better turnout this time.

A total of 1821 candidates are in the fray for the 119 Assembly constituencies. The TRS is contesting the election alone and has fielded its candidates in all the 119 constituencies. The Congress, TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) have formed an alliance to take on KCR government. The Congress has candidates in 98 constituencies while TDP candidates are in the fight in 13 constituencies and the CPI in 3. The BJP is also contesting the polls alone. It has fielded it candidates in all the 119 constituencies. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party is contesting only in eight constituencies in Hyderabad Old City. Malkajgiri constituency has the highest number of 42 contestants. Banswada has the lowest number of 6 candidates in the fray.

BJP has the highest number of 15 women fighting the elections. The Congress fielded women in 11 constituencies out of the total 98 it is contesting. The TDP, which is contesting in 13 constituencies, has only one woman candidate (NT Rama Rao’s granddaughter Suhasini in Kukatpally constituency). The TRS has the lowest number of only four candidates, notwithstanding the criticism it faced for not accommodating women in the previous cabinet.

Huge security arrangements are in place. In addition to the 30,000 local police, a total of 18,500 cops have been requisitioned from other states. More than 270 Central forces have been deployed.